'Parents' bill of rights' passes New Hampshire Senate

A "parents’ bill of rights" that critics say is designed to target transgender youth passed New Hampshire's Republican-led Senate on Thursday.

Much of the debate among lawmakers focused on provisions to require school officials, when asked by parents, to disclose that a child is using a different name or being referred to as being a different gender.

Supporters said the bill would strengthen family relationships, while opponents argued it violates the constitutional right to privacy and the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

Many states with Republican-controlled legislatures have enacted similar measures, fueled by some parents’ frustration with schools that boiled over during the coronavirus pandemic. And in the U. S. House, a parents' rights bill was the first legislation that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy formally announced — fulfilling a major part of last year's GOP campaign platform.

New Hampshire Sen. Donovan Fenton, a Democrat from Keene, said the bill approved Thursday "will further drive the transphobic and homophobic narrative that has begun to infiltrate our state from national interest groups."

"The attacks and targeting of the LGBTQ+ community has increased across the country, and New Hampshire is no exception to that," he said.

The state Senate bill was approved 14-10 along party lines and now goes to the 400-member House, which has a razor-thin Republican majority.

"We must value and support the loving relationships that exist in our New Hampshire families," said Sen. Denise Ricciardi, a Bedford Republican. "Senate Bill 272 stands up for truth, for love, for family."... (Read more)

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